Mumbai Attacks

[BlackBearHockey]

In the past, yes, Christianity was absolutely awful, along with most other religions - save maybe Buddhist.

That's my biggest concern regarding Islam. The violence historically associated with Christianity can be considered, for the most part, a thing of the past (I'm not saying that nobody takes the name of Christianity to wage violence). We typically don't stone people in the streets. We've "grown up."

Contrast to Islam and Sharia law... it seems as if a group of people is steeped too much into the customs of actions that happened 1500+ years ago. Christianity has evolved with the world. In my opinion, Islam has a ways to go.

Just because someone does something in the name of a religion doesn't make the religion itself bad, it makes the people who do it bad. Religion is a crutch, not the cause.

This is where I would like to learn more about Islam than I know. It seems as if the scripture itself is a promotion of Islam topping the world, through any means necessary. The Quran and Hadith promote forcibly causing "people of the book" to submit, convert, or die, and it's in there more than a few times.

My understanding is that the concept of Jihad literally translates to what we do not want to believe. The 90+% of Muslims and Muslim governments who choose not to participate or encourage are the secular ones.

But, I still have a lot of learning to go.

 

[Mumbles]

Flash....

are these A-holes fighting over Kashmir?? Or are they a splinter AQ group???
I know...I know....I should probably go to work sometimes.

 

[mmx1]

There are Islamic groups who are crying out against the violence perpetrated in their name but they are a vocal minority.

I suppose the Sons of Iraq are just a "vocal minority", then?

RIIIIIIIGHT!!!

Because all of the terrorists would be running lemon-aid stands and working in the peace corps if not for the Madrassas they attended and their devout Muslim faith.

You are embarrassing yourself as usual.

No, they would be anarchists. Or maoists, or whatever movement happened to be in vogue. Che, if he were alive today, would probably be a Salafist. It provides an ideological outlet for behavior that is remarkably similar across insurgencies. People who are socially alienated and disaffected seek remedies to their problems. In the 70's it was communism. Today, it's Salafism. Or to quote LtCol. Kilcullen,

People don’t get pushed into rebellion by their ideology. They get pulled in by their social networks.

The problem is not that Islam is inherently violent, but that broken Muslim societies are creating a vast number of poor, disaffected folks that are vulnerable to radicalization.

 

[MasterBates]

Automatic weapons and RPGS versus :

Don't knock the Lee-Enfield. Those are probably .308 variants of Indian manufacture. One of the best bolt actions ever developed, only real fault is the action is topped out at the 30.06 power class due to the rear locking bolt.

 

[exhelodrvr]

mmx1,
"The problem is not that Islam is inherently violent"

I don't see how you can say that, if you look at the basic teachings, the history, the officially accepted views on Israel, etc. of Islam.

 

[OUSOONER]

mmx1,
"The problem is not that Islam is inherently violent"

I don't see how you can say that, if you look at the basic teachings, the history, the officially accepted views on Israel, etc. of Islam.

Because the only things that make the Western news are the terrorist groups around the world that claim their deeds in the name of Islam. That is what we are going to think.

My Uncle in Iran called us and asked us how bad it actually is in the United States because in Iran it showed people sleeping in tents and in soup kitchen lines...the mainstream media can shape our minds.

President Bush did some great things and some not so great things...but in a left leaning American media...do any of those good deeds get noticed?

Are they going to talk about those 30 Marines who held off 250 insurgents? NO

Many Americans (and I don't blame them) have a biased view on Islam (I'm not an Islamic homer..just saying) based on how we were raised and what we are exposed to. In the 1940's every Japanese was probably a spy apparently but the German's were okay since they were "like us"....we are always threatened by what we are not familiar with.

 

[m3urthy]

Don't knock the Lee-Enfield. Those are probably .308 variants of Indian manufacture. One of the best bolt actions ever developed, only real fault is the action is topped out at the 30.06 power class due to the rear locking bolt.

those are the .308. I was alluding to the lack of body armour or any form of protection.

 

[MasterBates]

Body armor ain't gonna do shit against an RPG.

 

[mmx1]

If Islam were really inherently violent, we'd really have a problem on our hands, what with 1-2 billion Muslims in the world.

Funny, I don't see 1-2 billion(or even million) people trying to kill us.

I mean, how did we ever secure Iraq if all of them were so religiously inclined to violence? Did we convert them to Christianity along the way?:icon_wink I guess all the gulf states and Jordan must be practicing some bastardized Islam, too.

 

[OUSOONER]

If Islam were really inherently violent, we'd really have a problem on our hands, what with 1-2 billion Muslims in the world.

Funny, I don't see 1-2 million people trying to kill us.

I mean, how did we ever secure Iraq if all of them were so religiously inclined to violence? Did we convert them to Christianity along the way?:icon_wink I guess all the gulf states and Jordan must be practicing some bastardized Islam, too.

Watch out for those pesky Jews too...I mean killing Jesus and all! If you wanna get down to it...the human race was pretty violent starting out.

 

[Huggy Bear]

Everyone here (and I don't blame them) have a biased view on Islam (I'm not an Islamic homer..just saying) based on how we were raised and what we are exposed to. In the 1940's every Japanese was probably a spy apparently but the German's were okay since they were "like us"....we are always threatened by what we are not familiar with.

Excuse me...

Sounds like you have a biased view of everyone here.

Where I work, the student pilots have a prayer room.

 

[OUSOONER]

Excuse me...

Sounds like you have a biased view of everyone here.

Where I work, the student pilots have a prayer room.

Sorry poor choice of words, I meant from the posts I had just read and many Americans in general but not as a whole. Also I cannot blame people because we can only believe what we see and hear. Unfortunately, many times we are only exposed to one view.

 

[OUSOONER]

Good interview conducted by Larry King over the recent events AND the topic we were just talking about...even if it is CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/26/king.chopra.mumbai/index.html

 

[Brett327]

Virgins.

72 of them.

No, no, it's raisins, not virgins - raisins! FOOLS!

Brett

 

[Brett327]

I suppose the Sons of Iraq are just a "vocal minority", then?



No, they would be anarchists. Or maoists, or whatever movement happened to be in vogue. Che, if he were alive today, would probably be a Salafist. It provides an ideological outlet for behavior that is remarkably similar across insurgencies. People who are socially alienated and disaffected seek remedies to their problems. In the 70's it was communism. Today, it's Salafism. Or to quote LtCol. Kilcullen,
The problem is not that Islam is inherently violent, but that broken Muslim societies are creating a vast number of poor, disaffected folks that are vulnerable to radicalization.

Hey, this guys gets it. Spot on!

See, it's the same old intellectually lazy and dishonest partisan crowd (I'm looking at you Bevo - AGAIN) who chooses to see Islam as a monolithic entity because it fits their self-serving world-view. Take the blinders off and educate yourselves, people.

Brett